Who's the king of late night TV? Two words: David Letterman. For about a year and a half, Jay Leno and Dave have gone head to head at the 11:30 p.m. time slot. Since Dave's first show after his move to CBS, he has blown Leno away. The ratings prove that Letterman is the king of late night.

Why do viewers take a liking to Dave's wry humor and quirky ways? Nobody could answer for sure, but the main thing is that he makes people laugh night after night. It all starts with the monologue, where Dave tells a few news bites that he finds interesting, into which he attempts to fit a little humor. Often, these jokes fall on deaf ears and we're left watching with an anticipated laugh coming on. The beauty of Dave's humor is that he can convert a disastrous joke into a hilarious adventure. One terrific thing is that he can laugh at himself, advice we should all take heed of and try to do more often. Other times, the camera shifts to an unknowing audience member who is shown in a moment of embarrassment. Dave picks up on this and the rest is comedic history. He may harp on that one poor soul all night, without the audience growing tired.

The other major component of Letterman's success is that he draws the best guests in the business. Even if he weren't so funny, people would tune in to see what the guests are talking about. The way Letterman handles the guests is also brilliant. A viewer can tell if Dave enjoys a guest or not by watching his reaction to the guests' stories. Simply looking at his facial expressions is pure enjoyment.

Dave also possesses the genius to turn normal people into people who can make special appearances for skits on his show. Case in point, one night Letterman took his camera crew into a nearby souvenir shop. During the visit, he talked to the owners of the store, Mujibur and Sirajul, and spotted some potential for humor. In later shows, he showcased these Middle Eastern men in a variety of skits. In one case, he sent them on a road trip across the country.

David Letterman is the king of late night. His comedic genius has provided him with this title and it's likely he'll hold on to it for a long time